The narrow path

At a time of major uncertainty in the economy, Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock’s honesty is refreshing, says Greg Jericho. What is driving the current uncertainty about the country’s economic trajectory? Why did the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) decide to keep interest rates on hold? And w…

Pick your poison

The government is trying to strike a delicate balance in the economy, getting inflation down without sending the country into recession, says Greg Jericho. Isn't a surplus in the current economic climate a good thing? What causes productivity growth? And how do other nations measure unemployment? …

Why our GDP is going nowhere

Near-zero economic growth is a good sign of how bad things are, says Greg Jericho. After multiple interest rate increases in recent years, it’s the economy – not inflation – that’s slowing, with the latest figures showing that the Australian economy grew just 0.1 per cent in the last quarter. So w…

Walking the inflation tightrope

Inflation isn’t falling as fast as most economists want, but a rate rise now would do more harm than good, says Greg Jericho. With interest rates refusing to fall below three per cent, some analysts are making dire assessments of the Australia economy. But while so-called ‘sticky’ inflation isn’t …

Poverty is a policy choice

According to the Productivity Commission, wealth inequality declined during the COVID years due to boosted government support payments. And when those payments finished, predictably inequality went back up. The overwhelming majority of gains from economic growth since the GFC have gone to the weal…

The budget and why your wages are lagging 14 years behind

The pandemic and runaway inflation reversed more than a decade of progress on living standards in just two years – and it’s going to be a long wait for them to inch back, says Greg Jericho. What does the latest data reveal about Australian living standards? Why is there so much fearmongering about…

We. Do. Not. Need. A. Recession.

Calling for a ‘short recession’ as an economist is like calling for a ‘small war’ knowing you’ll never be on the frontlines, says Greg Jericho. Inflation isn’t coming down as fast as many hoped, but it’s still heading in the right direction. Some economists are calling for recession, but that’s pl…

JobSeeker drags people into poverty, but the government could fix this today

Budgets are about choices – and successive governments have chosen to punish jobseekers, says Greg Jericho. JobSeeker unemployment payments are “seriously inadequate” according to the government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. But why has their value fallen so far behind the aged pension?…

What the HECS?

Annual inflation is on the way down, but rents remain high and many people’s higher education loans are growing, even after repayments, says Greg Jericho. The rising cost of university and record indexation is driving up student debt, putting a major burden on younger Australians. On this episode …

Backing the renewable horse

The government is under fire for trying to ‘pick winners’, but green manufacturing could be the pony to get behind, says Greg Jericho. The Australian Government wants to create a future that’s ‘made in Australia’, but can it really compete with the likes of China and the United States? On this epi…